Bed-rest



'(No Mbdel.)

' J. E. PLUM BED REST.

Patented Apr. 3, 1894.

Mi I: EEEEE- kav N TE STATES Z PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN E. PLUMMER, OF WATERVILLE, NEW YORK.

BED-REST.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 517,623, dated April 3, 1894 Application filed October 30,1893.

T at whom ifitmwy concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN E. PLUMMER, a

' citizen of the United States, residing at Waterville, in the county of Oneida and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bed-Rests, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention has for its object to provide a bed rest for invalids, &c., which shall be inexpensive, durable and compact, and which shall provide for supporting the body and head in a variety of inclinations, and it consists in a device of the construction and arrangement hereinafter more fully set forth and the novel features of which are pointed out in the claims which are appended hereto and form a part hereof.

My improved device is shown in the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, in which Figure 1 is a perspective showing my rest in one position, and Figs. 2 and 3 are side elevations showing the rest in other positions.

The device is simple and consists substantially of three portions; a body-support A, a back-support B, and a head-rest G. r The bodysupport consists of two side pieces 1 upon which are secured cross-pieces or slats 2. The lower ends of the side pieces 1 are slightly curved as shown at 3, thus rendering the lower portion of the body-support comfortable to a. persons back. The upper ends of the side pieces 1 are upheld by supports 4, which are secured thereto, and which are preferably set at substantially right angles to the side pieces 1. These supports 4 serve to .hold the side pieces of the body support or portion A in a sloping. or inclined position. The angle of inclination maybe varied as desired, but it is preferably about thirty-five degrees. To the lower ends of the supports 4 are pivoted the lower ends of the side pieces 5 of the backrest or support B. The back-rest consists of side pieces 5 and cross pieces or slats 6 andis of substantially the same construction as the body-support A. The lower ends of the side pieces 5 of the back-rest are also convexly curved as shown at 7 in order that the lower portion of the said back rest may be comfortable to the back of the user. The side pieces 5 of the back-restmay be varied in length as desired but I prefe rto make themsubstan- Serial No. 489,465. (No model.)

tially the same lengthas the side pieces 1 of the body-support, so that when the back rest is in a vertical or substantially vertical position the top thereof will project upwardly some distance' above the highest portion of the body-support. To the top of the side which are adapted to engage with across-bar 1-1 which extendsbetween the upper ends of the side pieces 1 of the body-support. The side pieces 8 of the head-rest being somewhat nearer together than are the side pieces 1 of the body-support, the hooked ends of the sidepieces 8 of the head-rest will engagev with the cross bar 11 inside the side pieces 1 of the body-support as shown in Fig. 1. The head rest 0 is pivoted to the top of the back-rest 13 preferably by means-of a bar 12 which extends between the upper ends of the side pieces 5 of the back-rest as shown, and in a like manner the back rest is pivoted to the lower ends of the supports 4 of the body-rest by means of the cross bar 13.

By placing the notches in engagement with the cross-bar 11, the device assumes the form shown in Fig. 1 and in this form furnishes a comfortable rest for supporting the body at a slight inclination and holding the head in a slightly raised position relatively to the body. Should it be desired to support the person using the rest more nearly in a sitting posture, and without a support for the head, the device may be simply turned around so as to bring the back-support or rest B into position to support the back of the in valid or person using the rest. Generally, however, this portion of the rest will be used in the positions shown in Figs. 2 and 3. For

the purposeof holding the back-restB in the position shown inFig. 2, the side pieces 5 thereof are each provided with pivoted hook bars 14.

Preferably two of these hook bars are em-.

ployed in order to strengthen the device and firmly support the back-rest. A hook-bar 14 is pivoted to each of the side pieces5, pref- ICO erably inside the same, and the free end of the said hook bar is provided with a notch forming a hook adapted to engage the cross-bar 11 which extends between the upper ends of the side pieces 1. By throwing these hook bars into engagement with the cross bar the back-rest is held in the position shown in Fig. 2, or at an angle of about eighty degrees. When the back rest is in this position, the head-rest may be set so as to project in aline therewith, as shown in Fig. 2, by means of a brace 16 which is hinged or pivoted on the rear side of one of the slats 9 of the head rest, and is provided at the other end thereof with the hook 17 for engaging an eye 18 set in a piece 19 which is secured to the rear side of the central cross bars or slats 2 of the bodysupport as shown in Fig. 1, said piece 19 being parallel with and preferably midway between the side pieces 1. The piece 19 is preferably of a sufficient length to accommodate two or more eyes 18 so that by shifting the brace 16 from one of these eyes to the other the headrest may be set at different angles of inclination. Since the piece 19 in which the eyes 18 are set is secured to the lower side of the cross pieces 2 of the body-portion, the eyes 18 need not project above the upper surfaces of the said cross pieces 2. The brace 16 may be hinged as shown to the head-rest O or may be secured thereto in any other equivalent manner, as by a hook and eye, or by two eyes,

and if secured by a hook and eye, it may be detached when not in use. The hook-bars 14 when not in use may be moved on their pivots out of the way into a position parallel with the side pieces 5 to which they are pivoted. If it is desired to change the angle of inclination so that the person using the rest may be supported at an angle of about seventy degrees, this may be done by simply raising the hook-bars 14 out of engagement with the bar 11 and swinging them out of the way, thus allowing the back-rest B to fall back into contact with the upper ends of the side pieces 1 of the body support A, as shown in Fig. 3. The brace 16 of the head-rest may then be moved out of engagement with the uppermost of the eyes 18 and into engagement with the lowermost eye, thus setting the head-rest in the position shown in Fig.

By the use of this device an invalid,orperson confined to a bed, may be comfortably supported from the lower portion of the back to the head and held in various postures, from one which is only slightly raised from the horizontal position, to one which is substantially upright. The form of those portions of the device which come in contact with the lower portion of the back is rounded to contribute to the comfort of the person using the rest.

It will be obvious that instead of the cross pieces 2, 6 and 9 a continuous cover or strip of wood or other suitable material might be employed. The cross-pieces are, however, deemed preferable because by employing them the rest may be made lighter and less expensive without impairing its utility. It is also clear that the number of cross-pieces employed is not essential, so long as a sumcient number are employed to properly support the clothing or other material which is placed on the rest. The material of which the rest is made may also be varied, in whole or in part, and the cross pieces may be made of material which will yield or spring. I do not therefore desire to limit my invention in any of these particulars.

What I claim is- 1. The rest for invalids, 650., comprising the sloping body-support, the back-support j oined at its lower end to the said body-support, and adapted to be moved toward and from the upper end of the latter, the head-rest joined to the upper portion of the back-support and adapted to be turned down against the sloping body-support, substantially as set forth.

2. A rest for invalids, 850., comprising the sloping body-support having a fixed angle of inclination, the back-support located adjacent to the most elevated portion of the body support and pivoted at its lower end to the said body-support, and means for securing said back support at different inclinations, substantially as set forth.

3. The rest for invalids, &c., comprising the slopingbody-support, the back-support joined at its lower end to the said body-support and adapted to be swung toward and from the upper end of the latter, the head-rest joined at one end to the upper portion of the back-support and adapted to be turned down against the sloping body-support when desired, and means for holding at the desired inclination the connected back-support and head-rest when the latter is extended, substantially as set forth.

4. The rest for invalids, &c.,comprising the slopingbody-support, the back-supportjoined at its lower end to the said body-support, the hook bars whereby the upper end of the backsupport may be held away from the body-support when required, the head-rest joined at one end to the upper portion of the back-support and adapted to be turned down against the sloping body-support and engaged with the latter and the brace whereby the connected hack-support and head-rest may be held at the desired inclination when the head-rest is extended, substantially as described.

5. The rest for invalids, 850., comprising the sloping body-support A, having the lower end thereof curved, the back-rcstB pivoted thereto, the head-rest 'G pivoted to said back-rest, and means for securing said back-rest and head-rest in desired positions, substantially as set forth.

6. The rest for invalids, &c., comprising the sloping body-portion A, the back-rest B located adjacent to the most elevated portion of the said body portion and pivoted at its lower end to said body portion and having its lower end convexly curved, and means for securing said baok-restin desired position with the upper portion of said body-support,.and 10 reference to said body-support, substantially a brace for said head-rest, substantially as set asset forth. forth; 7. The rest for invalids, &e., comprising the In testimony whereof I affix mysig'nature in 5 sloping body-portion curved at its lower end, presence of two witnesses. 7

the back-rest also curved at its lower end and JOHN E. PLUMMER. pivoted thereat to said body-portion, the head Witnesses: rest 0 pivoted to the upper end of said back- PARKER WHITE,

rest, hook-bars on said back-rest for engaging HENRY N. BIssELL. 

